Nets’ Ben Simmons has moved to next step of back rehab
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Nets point guard Ben Simmons has started feeling positive effects from the epidural he had in his back and has moved to the next phase of his rehab.
“He’s looking at, I think, in the matter of days to weeks, as opposed to weeks to months,” Simmons’ agent, Bernie Lee, told The Post.
Simmons, who hasn’t played since Nov. 6 and got the shot a little over a week ago, is doing aqua jogging — running in water. He’s working toward on-court activity.
“It definitely has helped. And just like time and progression has helped him as well,” Lee said before the Nets’ 124-97 win over the Wizards on Friday night. “He’s been doing well, slowly taking steps. He’s starting to move around a little bit now. He’s starting to be able to run on some underwater treadmill stuff. So he’s starting to get around and move.
“It’s essentially how he sustains being able to do this, and then you move to the next kind of stage of rehab which is rebuilding him to get back on to get back to on-court stuff, getting back to that. … It’s like any injury. You do it in progressions, like one-on-one, two-on-two, three-on-three and stuff like that. So he’s doing the part now that builds towards that.”
Simmons missed all of 2021-22 with a bad back and after surgery was limited to just 42 ineffective games last season for the Nets.
The former All-Star looked much better while playing early this season but suffered a nerve impingement a little over a month ago against the Bucks.
“It’s just one of those things where it sucks,” Lee said. “When you’re in season, the No. 1 thing you need is time and patience, and the No. 1 thing you don’t have is time and/or patience, right? For him, obviously, with his background, having missed the amount of time that he has over the last couple years, obviously it’s frustrating. But you sit and you watch this team play and see the way he’s going to be able to impact it, this team’s got an opportunity to create something.”
Vince Carter, one of the best players in Nets history, made his debut as an analyst for YES Network for Friday’s game against Washington.
The occasion marked Carter’s first trip back to Barclays Center since the final game he played for Atlanta on Jan. 12, 2020.
“I haven’t been in this building in a while, since the last time I played here,” Carter told The Post. “The last time I was in this building, you know who was sitting right here? Kobe [Bryant].”
Carter earned the nickname “Vinsanity” for his high-flying dunks and prodigious scoring.
“This is a homecoming,” Carter said.
Nets coach Jacque Vaughn, who played with Carter, gushed over his return.
“Boy, was he a heck of a player. And it’s great to have him in the building,” Vaughn said. “For me to see him at the table tonight, so legend.”
Vaughn is hoping Dennis Smith Jr. — scratched Friday with a sore back — can return for the upcoming road trip, but it’s no certainty.
He added Lonnie Walker IV may or may not fly out west with the Nets, but he definitely will not play on the five-game swing.
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